VH1's Behind the Music Three Lights
by Ambergris
Summary: Come and find out with the inner senshi just what happened in the lives of the Three Lights when the cameras weren't rolling! (Seiya/Usagi)
1. Default Chapter

[.:Behind The Music ~ Three Lights:.]  
  
'Open the door get on the floor, everybody walk like a dinosaur!' The music blared through the room as Minako did some crazy dance moves while the other girls just looked on. 'Boom boom, shaka-laka boom boom!'  
  
Minako had been in a great mood all day long and her excitement was bubbling over. "Should we stop her before she hurts herself?" Makoto asked leaning over to Rei who just shook her head. The reminisces of strawberry daiquiris were scattered among the room.  
  
"No, let her get it out of her system, maybe she'll tire herself out!" Rei huffed and folded her arms.  
  
The girls were going to be staying overnight at Minako's house for a sleep over. Sure they were pretty much too old for this now but Minako had insisted. Since the senshi hadn't been called for any more battles recently the girls needed to make excuses to get them all together. This time however was different, it seemed that Minako had something up her sleeve.  
  
By now Usagi had gotten up and joined Minako in their motions that no one could really mistaken as dancing, they looked more like they had been set on fire and were trying, without luck, to put it out! Usagi had failed to put her drink down before attempting her feat and ended up spilling the sticky liquid everywhere. It was probably better off for her in the long run, let's just say that she really didn't need any more liquor!  
  
"I think they share a brain!" Rei snorted again.  
  
Ami laughed but then concentrated and looked as though she was in deep thought. "No, Rei, I don't think that's possible… well maybe if we…" She started to count on her fingers. "One… three… seven… two… Oh damn, I think I lost a couple of fingers! Where'd they go?"  
  
"Ami it was a joke, lighten up." Makoto laughed at her and noticed that Minako and Usagi had fallen back on Minako's bed in exhaustion. "Done?" Makoto was the soberest of them all and was enjoying  
  
The two blonds laughed as they tried to catch their breath. Minako sat up and looked at her watch. "Oh my god!"  
  
"What?" Usagi sat up alarmed thinking that she had hurt herself.  
  
"It's time!" Minako stumbled off her bed and staggered over to the television set.  
  
"Time for what?" Rei asked. Minako hadn't told them why she had suddenly come up with the idea for a sleep over. The girls had graduated from school and were about to go into college, but Minako hadn't changed, not in the least.  
  
The girls sat around and looked at the TV while random commercials played and Minako shut the lights off. The program was about to start and they could see that it was VH1's Behind the Music. No one seemed too interested in it, until they saw who it was about. The title screen read: Behind the Music: Three Lights.  
  
The girls gasped and Minako just sat back proud of herself doing little winks and victory poses. The show started and Minako pulled a giant bowl of popcorn out from nowhere.  
  
~Life wasn't always glamour and fame for Japan's young idol group. From their early beginnings to their mysterious disappearance, this is Behind the Music, Three Lights.~  
  
"This is going to be good!" Minako was smiling from ear to ear. The Lights barely ever came up in conversation since they left. Everyone missed them so much but missing them wasn't going to bring them back and they eventually just stopped talking about them to avoid feeling the loneliness that would follow the conversation.  
  
Actually the death of the Lights conversations came when Mamoru and Usagi broke up. Mamoru had a small problem, I guess the polite way to put it was that he had a constant urge to pleasure himself. Seeing that Usagi wasn't going to help him much in this department he decided to go to America to study. He figured that in America the more liberal society would accept his masturbation needs. Much to their surprise though Usagi didn't take the news as bad as they thought she would, perhaps she was suspecting it. Either way, the girls were unsure how upset she really was on the inside and decided that bringing up the loss of friends while she may still be mourning the loss of her boyfriend (Pole Stroker), future husband and future child wouldn't be such a great idea.  
  
"Minako, why didn't you tell us about this?" Rei asked making head nods in Usagi's direction as if saying 'HELLO!'  
  
Usagi noticed Rei's gestures but just figured that she was having as hard of a time holding her head still as she was. She drank how many?  
  
"I though it would be a surprise!" Minako beamed and turned her face back to the TV while shoving more food in her mouth and washing it down with some more daiquiris, the straw was a long gone lost cause.  
  
~The early beginnings of the Lights saw hardship after hardship on their way to stardom. The road to fame was plagued with pot holes and each Light found their own hole.~  
  
A picture of the lights came up on the screen looking the way the girls remembered them, but then that picture was replaced by a younger and a little less mature version.  
  
~Seiya, Yaten and Taiki, the members of the idol group started out as wiggers trying to catch a break. They were spotted by a talent agent on Star Search singing 'On the Good Ship Lolli-Pop' and given a record deal. Their agent, Mr Hoshi, cleaned up their image and made them presentable for the mass market.~  
  
A scene of the lights and their manager/agent, Mr Hoshi, came up on the screen.  
  
~Things always seemed smooth to the public's eye but there was more going on behind the scenes. When on their own time, without the eye of the camera on them, the bickering and fights would break out. Most quarrels were between Seiya and Yaten leaving Taiki as the peace maker but Taiki wasn't what he appeared on the outside either.~  
  
A picture of Taiki coming between a kicking and screaming Seiya and Yaten was shown and then the picture switched to a purple suit laid out on a bed. Ami's eyes went wide, she wondered just how much of Taiki's private life they were going to show.  
  
~The casinos called and Taiki listened. Gambling became his obsession and passion. The majority of the Three Light's earnings went to fuel his need to gamble.~  
  
Shows Taiki at a craps table with hookers gathered around him in a pure Vegas setting.  
  
~Soon the tension built up and Seiya and Yaten confronted him about his spending of their funds. Taiki had to find another way to get money.~  
  
Shows Taiki surrounded by a different bunch of hookers.  
  
~Pimping. Taiki began to collect a large amount of 'willing-to-do- anything' fans, they consisted of the early members of their fan club, and began to pimp them out to his playboy friends. The money was rolling in and his addiction was being fed. Taiki covered his business well and kept good records of his earnings. To anyone else this would have looked as though he was studying all the time. Intelectual? I don't think Harvard would teach a course in Pimp Daddy Magnetics!~  
  
Shows a picture of Taiki looking up from a book smiling.  
  
~Taiki also had another addiction to cover up.~  
  
'Could this get any worse?' Ami thought to herself as she looked down and shook her head. The television went to commercial and the other girls just sat completely confused.  
  
"Minako… um… did you…. Um… know it was going to be like… you know… like this?" Makoto stuttered out.  
  
Minako for once was not right on top of things and the surprise of what she saw was still fresh in her mind. "I had no idea."  
  
"Ami, you knew him best, did you know that any of this was going on?" Usagi turned and looked back at their blue haired friend.  
  
"Well you see, it's like this…" Ami was cut off by the introductory music coming on.  
  
"Shhhhh!!" Minako silenced them all and glued her eyes back to the show.  
  
~Once Taiki saw the money that he could make by the showing of human flesh he became greedy.~  
  
A shot of his group of hookers once again but this time showing a certain blue haired fan holding up a Three Lights' fan club membership card #25.  
  
~He figured if selling the bodies of his fans could rake in this kind of money, imagine what marketing his own body could do! Taiki became a male stripper.~  
  
Shows ridiculous clip of Taiki stripping on stage dressed as a teacher. A female stripper joins him from behind dressed in a Juuban district school uniform, it was Ami.  
  
~Life usually sets it up so that the student learns from the teacher, but in Taiki's case it turned out to be the other way around. This blue haired student, whose name is still unknown, taught Taiki about life and love after gambling, stripping and pimping.~  
  
Shows a picture of Ami and Taiki sitting in a rowboat.  
  
~They looked like a match made in heaven, but that heaven also had thunderclouds. It was rumored that the couple had become pregnant. Normally this would have devastated a career such as Taiki's but due to forces unknown the girl lost the baby while being attacked by this hideous looking creature~  
  
Shows picture of Ami getting attacked by Sailor Teacher.  
  
~On the outside Taiki's life seemed to be going fine but who knows what forces drove the Lights to break up and disappear from the lime light? When we return, a stubborn mind and a needle of heroine, what does that get you? An explanation for Yaten's snobby attitude and sudden mood swings.~  
  
"AMI!!!" Rei bellowed through the room. "You were dating Taiki, posing as a hooker, stripping and pregnant and you just happened to forget to tell us?"  
  
The four girls stood over Ami and looked down upon her. "College is expensive, I had to find a way to pay for it… my mother is addicted to sniffing glue and won't pay to send me to school so I had to come up with the money myself." She meagerly tried to defend herself. "Besides, those eye, those lips, that ASS! How could any girl say no to Taiki?" She got that far off dreamy look in her eyes.  
  
"Oh brother!" Usagi smacked her forehead.  
  
"It almost makes you scared to see what the other two did!" Makoto looked at Minako. "Is there something you want to tell us before we find out by mistake?"  
  
Minako held her hands up in defense. "Why are you looking at me when you say that?"  
  
"Probably because I can't think of anyone in the world who wanted to get in Yaten's pants more than you!" Makoto pointed a menacing finger at her friend while the others stifled a giggle.  
  
"It's back on!" Minako jumped away and back to her place on the floor right in front of the television.  
  
A picture of Yaten at an autograph signing appeared on the screen.  
  
~In the public eyes Yaten appeared to be the cool attitude Light. Nothing phased him and it appeared that he cared for nothing either. Nothing came near this man except his drugs.~  
  
Shows Yaten with a pissy face and slight bags under his eyes.  
  
~The night was his sanction and Yaten took full advantage of the shadows that it created. Dressed in butterfly wings and a leotard complete with face paint and body glitter, Yaten would leave the idol scene and head out to the raver clubs of the city.~  
  
Shows home video of Yaten dancing in a rave club and going completely nuts with his hands and body while some techno music blares in the background.  
  
~The club scene also introduced Yaten to intravenous drug use. No longer satisfied with the simple high her received from XTC he moved on to heroine.~  
  
Shows Yaten shooting up in the bathroom of the club.  
  
~A man with no face and a lot of money to burn, the clubs loved him as did his pushers. The addiction was bad and usually left him with no recollection of his time. When the clubs let out in the early morning a smacked up and broken Yaten would be released on to the streets again to wander for a purpose and direction.~  
  
A short video of Yaten skinny-dipping in the fountain of a park with a creepy smiley face covering the parts of him that would be unsuitable for younger viewers appears on the screen.  
  
~At a time when the normal people of the world were just waking up and heading out their doors for work, a young Yaten would shed his clothes and streak through the crowds of business suits to run naked in the park. What was going through his head? Well find out when we come back from this short break.~  
  
"That damn smiley face covered everything good!" Minako jumped up pissed.  
  
"Ummm… Minako, if you didn't notice, the smiley face wasn't the most important thing that you just saw." Usagi tried to calm her down.  
  
"Wow, I didn't know that Yaten was addicted to drugs." Makoto commented looking at the television thoughtfully. "Minako, did you have any idea?" Minako shook her head.  
  
"I was over at their apartment all of the time and I didn't have any idea." Ami said now that her secret was already out in the open. "He hid it so well, the only problem I knew he had was his bladder problem."  
  
"I wish we had known." Rei said feeling bad.  
  
"About his bladder problem?" Ami asked confused.  
  
The other girls sweat dropped and Rei continued to think of Yaten's situation. "What the hell am I saying? He looked happy as hell! Screw him! He had fun!"  
  
~In a rare interview with Yaten that has never before been seen on national television his drug binge is caught on tape.  
  
Interviewer: Now that's what I call 'NAKED THREE LIGHTS!' (moves closer to talk to Yaten who is dancing around naked in the fountain) Yaten, can we get a statement?  
  
Yaten: Sure, I'd do anything for my fans! (does cheesy superman pose not caring to cover himself at all)  
  
Interviewer: May I ask why you're dancing around in a public fountain nude?  
  
Yaten: Simple! (he says it as though it was obvious) The plants, trees and flowers were all talking to one another. When they saw me coming they started talking to me too! They told me they would watch my shoes for me while I danced in the fountain.  
  
Interviewer: Are you saying that you talk to plants?  
  
Yaten: Plants, trees and flowers. Hey, if they didn't talk to you don't blame me, maybe you're just mean! (storms off splashing out of the fountain, not bothering to grab his clothes, only his shoes)  
  
Interviewer: And there you have it.  
  
Now you know why we couldn't show that to you on national television before now!~  
  
A picture of Yaten and Luna taking a bath flashes on the screen.  
  
~Another secret obsession of Yaten's was to bath with cats. No, no bestiality here ladies, don't get your panties in a bunch, but some swear that they've heard the cat talk before.~  
  
Hey folks, if you want to see what happens or just want to know what the rest of the show is like give us a review! We weren't sure whether or not anyone would read this, let alone like this. Don't get us wrong, we are two of the biggest Starlight's fans in the entire world, but we don't have to be serious all of the time, ne? 


	2. second part

VH1's Behind the Music ~ Three Lights Part II  
  
~When we return, we go into the dark chambers of Seiya's world. A hell in which led him into a dependence on alcohol and depression. When Behind The Music returns... ~  
  
"Hey Ami...how big is he?" Makoto asked slyly. Blushed crept across Ami's cheeks and she decided to play dumb. "Uh...who?" Makoto could already tell the size in her face, so she just laughed and left it alone.  
  
"I wonder how it feels like skinny dipping in a public fountain. Do you think the water's cold?" Minako asked, mainly toward herself. "I don't know Minako! Why don't you go try it?" Rei answered sarcastically. "Hmm...maybe I will..."  
  
Usagi stayed silent through the commercials. Wanting to know the inside story on Seiya. He knew how to keep secrets good if he was a drinker. She waited till the program came back on.  
  
~We now go into the world Kou Seiya endured during his rise to fame. All seemed well on school grounds, but once he got on stage grounds... ~  
  
Shows a picture of Seiya taking a shot with women all around him.  
  
~Unlike his brother Taiki, Seiya wasn't the easiest one to sleep with. His only lover was a bottle of Jack Daniels and a writing pen. According to the maids that tended to their household, she would find about twenty bottles of different varieties around the house. ~  
  
Shows a plump, elder Asian woman. At the bottom of the screen reads: "Leona Kanzaki" Three Light's housekeeper.  
  
"I would go in about 9 A.M. and clean up for a couple of hours. And I would go into Seiya's room to clean and everywhere! I would find bottles of different alcohols. I would think `how could a young man, first year in high school, go through all these bottles?' I didn't like it at all. But yet it wasn't my business. Plus with I went into Yaten's bedroom, I would always smell something in there that would make me dizzy. I didn't want to confront his brothers either."  
  
A picture of Seiya looking tired and drinking flashed on the screen.  
  
~Black and white replaced Seiya's picture of color. Writing most of the lyrics to the songs, sending the message to a lost love. All seemed sad for the raven haired Light for one person... ~  
  
~With this hidden camera in the dressing room, placed there by their manager, seems to clear up the reason for Seiya's addiction. ~ (Shows Seiya toweling himself looking depressed. Then after a while, he reaches in his jacket pocket and pulls out a picture of Usagi)  
  
~With Seiya still searching for his love clearly in the clip, Yaten and Taiki seemed to have found theirs. Women kept on coming in and out of the apartment looking for "a teacher to punish them because they've been bad" and huge cargo came every week for Yaten's pleasure. Pleasure for all of them of course except for some people. ~  
  
A man appears on the screen named "Hiroshi Azuma" Neighbor.  
  
"Well, I can't say I was a friend. They always seemed anti-social to me. Every night there were always sounds coming from their apartment. And it always was loud. Finally when I couldn't take it anymore, I moved out. ~  
  
Three Lights now appear on screen. Date appears to be the year they disappeared.  
  
Taiki: "I never knew back then that I would be loud, I mean when you have women around you begging for pleasure, what's a man to do? Especially with my partner that danced with me on stage. I always enjoyed her company, and I still do."  
  
Yaten: "When I would be in the room with Seiya helping him with the lyrics I always knew his mind was somewhere else. With me, I was so high all I could think about thanking the plants for watching my shoes!"  
  
Seiya: "I remember when you dragged me over to the park. Right after you thanked them, you stripped and jumped back in the fountain. I didn't know whether to join you or leave!"  
  
Taiki: "And what did you do?"  
  
Seiya: "The smartest! I jumped in, grabbed as many quarters as I could carry and got the hell out of there! Leaving Yaten singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" at the top of his lungs." (Everyone laughs)  
  
Interviewer: "How did you ever battle off your addiction with alcohol?"  
  
Seiya: (sighs) It wasn't easy, I can tell you that. But I told myself that I'm not going anywhere and I have to live for my Princess..."  
  
~We didn't actually know what he meant by his Princess, but we came to the possible conclusion that it was the love he missed the most. ~  
  
Shows the portion of the clip where Seiya takes Usagi's picture out of his pocket.  
  
~With the lights shining on these three idols and their rise to fame, Three Lights made a big impact on the fans. After their first hit "Shooting Star", women all over the country took the message literally and actually searched for their love! ~  
  
~ A poll that was taken two weeks after the hit, the couple rate rose 65%. Well we were certain Japan was going to beat China if they sang, "Start a family with your love". ~  
  
~ When we return, the Three Lights have some things you don't want to miss! Secret songs AND commercials only seen in Singapore! ~  
  
"Whoa! Songs and commercials!! This is far-fetched!" Minako stated when the commercials came on. "I can't believe he didn't tell me!" "Minako, I think that they were sworn to secrecy while doing those. They had to do that to send their message all over the world. They didn't know if they're princess was going to appear here in Japan or in America if so." Ami lectured.  
  
"Well, Ami, did you know about this?" Rei slyly asked. Makoto had an evil grin on her face. "I think she knew. Did you Ami?" Ami blushed and sat back on the couch. "I'm going to keep my mouth shut from now on."  
  
Usagi sat almost alone as her friends carried on with their conversation. After they showed the clip with Seiya looking at her picture, all Usagi could do was think about him. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together she started thinking of the hints Seiya gave her... `Am I not good enough? .... I'll never forget you.... Odango....' It hit her like a pile of rocks; he loves her.  
  
"SHHH!!! It's back on!!!" Minako yelled, silencing the room.  
  
~ Three Lights not only made their fortune with their voices, but bodies too. Here's a commercial that Japan has never seen. Uncut and uncovered... ~  
  
Seiya is in the shower (like in the episode) and it shows his entire upper torso, which is very built! He sees a shampoo called "Herbal Essences" and picks it up.  
  
"A natural organic experience? Ew...I URGE not to use this!"  
  
Suddenly Taiki and Yaten pull back the shower curtain and start singing.  
  
"He's got the UURRGGE to herbal (herbal)!!"  
  
Seiya looks very shocked and scared as Taiki is washing his hair and Yaten is singing.  
  
"He's got the herbal in the shower.... or for another half an hour! He's got the urge!!!"  
  
(Natural botanicals)  
  
Taiki is then seen sniffing his hair and making the `mmm....' Sound. Then all of a sudden, Seiya's hair is dry and shining.  
  
Seiya: "I didn't want to use that!"  
  
Taiki: "Well your hair needed a good rub down."  
  
Yaten: "And so does your body! Try the new body wash!" he holds out the soap. Commercial ends.  
  
It then shows a black and white snap shots of Calvin Klein boxers on a guy.  
  
"That looks like Taiki..." Makoto retorted. "Nah, this person's too small." Ami answered, eyes glued to the screen.  
  
~ Yaten, with his reputation of stripping, applied for the job of modeling in the Calvin Klein world of boxers. ~  
  
A young, elegant woman appears on the screen. "Yuki Tomokaze".  
  
"Well, Yaten was a nice cute man. I would say handsome, but he's what we would call a `pretty boy'. With the interview he had with the photographer, we thought he was perfect for the job. And he was really good, but there were some things he did that bothered me a bit..."  
  
Shows a clip of Yaten playing with himself in the boxers.  
  
~ With Yaten's shoot-ups of heroine and sniffs of cocaine rising, and Seiya was soon introduced to a lady named Ethel Alcohol, things for his taller brother, Taiki, appeared in a commercial some of you might find typical. ~  
  
"Viagra stimulates the male hormone to give your partner satisfaction and begging for more..." Hold up the bottle and winks.  
  
~ All must say, Taiki was perfect for the part. Viagra sales in Europe went up and soon it WAS start a family with your love. ~  
  
~ Songs by the Three Lights all were hits! But of course, "Shooting Star" took center stage. But only one song was forgotten...but the message was as strong to remember... ~  
  
"Todokanu Omoi: My Friend's Love" starts playing in the background.  
  
~ Written by Kou Seiya, it was to his princess. While Yaten went on a drug trip and Taiki had a gig at a bachelorette party, the house was all his and the words were original.  
  
Seiya shows up on the screen being interviewed.  
  
Seiya: "Well the song came from my heart and tells how I feel about the person I care. I guess you can say it explains my feelings..."  
  
Interviewer: "So are you saying that you love this woman, but yet she doesn't return your love?"  
  
Seiya: "That's right."  
  
Interviewer: "But isn't that kind of strange that a girl in THIS world doesn't want to have a chance with one of the most idolized men?"  
  
Seiya: (chuckles) "I guess you can say that. But I have to respect her reason. I just hope she can figure me out through the song..."  
  
~ Heartbroken and scarred, Seiya sunk into the ways of a recluse and separated himself from reality. With the sudden attack he had to his head on the night of their appearance on the radio show, he was curse with sleeping spells and headaches far worse than migraines. But yet, his love wasn't any help...~ 


	3. the third whatever

Behind The Music ~ Three Lights  
  
Chapter 3  
  
As the credits rolled up the screen the girls sat with wide eyes. "We have to see them." Makoto muttered with a blank expression.  
  
Rei and Ami nodded in agreement. "We're calling them - making them get their asses back here - and we're not taking no for an answer!" Minako gave the very obvious solution to their dilemma.  
  
"Guys, guys!" Usagi called out. She had been quiet up until now but this was all going too far. "We can't just call them up and expect them to drop what they're doing to come and see us!"  
  
"Usagi's right." Ami huffed.  
  
"But that doesn't mean that we can't just go crash their planet!" Minako cheered, as she stood up she hiked up her pajama pants that were threatening to slip off her hips.  
  
"And are you going to sport your pajamas there?" Makoto asked while grinning and pointing to Minako's ensemble.  
  
"If we can leave now, hell yeah! I'll go naked if I have to!"  
  
Ami actually burst out in a fit of giggles. "Yeah, I'm sure Yaten would change his mind about you then!" She continued to laugh.  
  
"You guys are pathetic, you know that?" Rei huffed taking the remainder of popcorn into her hands. "Oh look at me, I'm Minako." She started making odd hand gestures and trying to sound blond and ditzy. "I'm going to transport my senshi of love booty half way across the universe in hopes of making a gender shifting alien fall in love with me. But, uh, like the best part is, I'll just have to come home and leave him anyway!"  
  
Minako's face had started to darken in color as the red flushed in her cheeks and tiny veins in her eyes began to bulge. It didn't help that Makoto was dying laughing on the floor throughout the whole spiel. "Rei." Minako clenched her fist. "If you know what's good for you, you'll shut your big cake hole NOW!" She growled.  
  
"But she's right Minako. Do you really expect to go to Kinmoku and have Yaten fall madly in love with you?" Ami questioned, hoping that some sense was getting into the blonde's head.  
  
"Yeah, why not?" Minako asked stunned, momentarily forgetting her quarrel with Rei.  
  
The rest of the senshi face faulted. No one really noticed that Usagi was off by herself, and for once not taking a great opportunity to join in on ripping on some one that wasn't herself.  
  
"You really are blond, you know that?" Makoto shook her head, catching her breath from laughing too hard.  
  
"Yaten doesn't like you, Yaten will never like you, Yaten is just a figment of your dreams!" Rei scolded her trying to beat it into her.  
  
"And why couldn't Yaten ever like me? Who the hell thought Ami could be part of a porn star duo? No one, but it happened, ne?" Minako stood growing serious, this was Yaten they were talking about, she wasn't giving up all hope of catching him.  
  
Ami just sat with a dark crimson blush in her cheeks. "Minako. they weren't saying it like that. they were saying that you two live on two totally different planets. it would never work out."  
  
Minako finally caught on to what they were trying to tell her but so did Usagi. "That doesn't mean that we can't visit them though." Usagi offered up. "We just have to keep Minako's hands off of Yaten's butt and all will be ok, ne?"  
  
The other's nodded while Minako muttered to herself. ".I'm going to go there. blow up their planet. kidnap Yaten. keep him in my closet."  
  
"Uh. Minako?" Makoto waved her hand in front of her face, she had looked as though she was zoning out.  
  
^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^  
  
"TAIKI!!!" A truly pissed off voice rang out through the palace, shaking the walls and foundation.  
  
Taiki, Yaten and Seiya were sitting around relaxing and enjoying their afternoon off. The irate screams of their princess broke any chance of their relaxation. "What the hell did you do now?" Yaten asked folding his arms and sighing.  
  
Seiya just grinned and adjusted his sunglasses. "At least it wasn't me for once!"  
  
"SEIYA!!" The voice came again echoing down the hallway, causing Seiya to sweat drop.  
  
"Guess I spoke too soon." He mumbled to himself as he sat up a little straighter.  
  
"I can't believe you two! This was supposed to be our day off and your goofing around screwed it up!!" Yaten was annoyed, very annoyed. True they had days off frequently but not usually together.  
  
The Princess finally made her way to the patio where she found the Three Lights sitting soaking up the afternoon sun. In a hard, swift motion, her foot kicked the door open as she stormed through it. "YATEN!!"  
  
All three stood up to greet their princess reluctantly, truly afraid of her current state. "Princess. are you alright?" Taiki questioned a little nervously.  
  
Kakyuu marched right up to her tallest senshi and looked him square in the eyes before grabbing him by the collar. "A stripper?!" She questioned with a fire in her eyes. "You go to another planet and you become a STRIPPER?!"  
  
Taiki gulped hard, he had kept his little secret from Kakyuu so far, it was beyond him how she found out. In a flash of instincts he turned to Yaten. "Did you rat me out?!" The accusation hung in the air, if anyone was going to sell him out to save his own ass, it would be Yaten.  
  
"NO!" Yaten stated flatly.  
  
"And you!" Kakyuu released Taiki and headed for Yaten. "Drugs AND stripping?!" Yaten was only a little taller than Kakyuu so he felt her wrath a bit more than Taiki had.  
  
"P-princess. I can explain. you see it's like." Yaten stumbled on his words until Kakyuu finally released him and headed for the last Light.  
  
Seiya had been slowly inching away from the whole scene, but Kakyuu had spotted him tip toeing away. "Don't think you're getting out of this one! I can't believe you of all people would be a drinker!" She shouted causing Seiya's head to hang low.  
  
"Princess you don't understand!" Taiki pleaded drawing her attention back towards him.  
  
"Yeah, it had been so long and we missed you so much." Yaten continued.  
  
"We had to do something to make the pain go away, even if it was temporary." Seiya finished and knelt down before her taking her hand into his. Before his lips planted themselves on her delicate skin he noticed the piece of paper in her hand. "What's this?" He said trying to tug on it.  
  
Kakyuu quickly jerked her hand back, taking the paper with it. "I don't know if I should even tell you guys now!" She was still furious to say the least. Sighing she tried to calm herself down. "We are having company."  
  
"Who?" Yaten asked skeptically while the other two listened intently.  
  
"The planetary senshi have written me telling me of their visit. due to their concern." Kakyuu continued to eye them evilly.  
  
"Concern what concern?" Taiki questioned not seeing any immediate threat.  
  
"Yeah, we're tougher than them, I'd kick any youma's butt that tried to step up to you!" Yaten butted in making some odd karate poses to go along with his statement.  
  
Kakyuu rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. "It seems that your private lives while you were on Earth had been revealed to the public in some sort of television special. Naturally the senshi became concerned."  
  
"And so here we are!" Minako cheered from behind Kakyuu.  
  
The Three Lights looked like they had just seen a ghost. Their mouths were agape and their bodies motionless. There, before them, stood the inner senshi and moon. Makoto leaned over to Rei to hush her comment. "Looks like Yaten's still sniffing glue!"  
  
Rei laughed and tried to hold it in to be polite but to no avail. Soon the giggles sputtered out uncontrollably and Makoto was forced to join in.  
  
"Oi!" Yaten rolled his eyes having been brought back to reality.  
  
"I'll show you guys to your rooms." Kakyuu said before anything else could be said between the two groups.  
  
"Princess, we'll show them where they are." Taiki offered up but received an icy stare.  
  
"NO, you three will stay here and wait for me to return so I can deal with you in private!" She commanded and the three young men slunk back to their former positions.  
  
Once Kakyuu and the other senshi were out of the room the Three Lights sighed in relief. "So now we know who ratted us out!" Yaten shook his head leaning back in the chair.  
  
"What are you going to do about. you know who?" Taiki asked quietly while looking in Seiya's direction.  
  
Yaten's attention also perked up as his head came up to stare at Seiya. "Yeah, what are you going to do?"  
  
"Nothing." Seiya shrugged, pissed that he was even being confronted with this question. "What would you expect me to do?"  
  
"Hmm let's see." Yaten struck a pose, he doubted he could put any more sarcasm in his words. "You've been seeing a woman exclusively for a long time and all of the sudden the girl that you thought you couldn't live without has shown back up in your life. And you're oblivious to why we're a little curious?!" Yaten rolled his eyes.  
  
"He's right you know." Taiki added in.  
  
"You guys worry too much. The situation between Odango and I is exactly the same as before. I'm sure she still thinks of me as a friend, has no idea of my 'former' feelings for her, and she's probably still latched onto her 'Mamo-chan'." Seiya stood up and walked over to the door.  
  
"I wouldn't call her Odango any more if I were you. that is unless you're sick and like punishment from your girlfriend." Yaten snickered and watched as Seiya stopped in his tracks.  
  
"I thought the Princess told us to stay here and wait for her?" Taiki said amused that they had gotten Seiya worked up.  
  
"I'm going to see Sazuki before she finds out about all of this from some one else." Seiya said before walking out the door and slamming it liberally behind him.  
  
"'Former' feelings my ass!" Yaten commented once the dark haired young man was gone. "Does he really think he's fooling anyone?"  
  
"Ah, let him live his little daydream." Taiki waved him off. "All I know is that there is an old 'friend' here that I need to 'catch up' with." He smiled a big hentai grin that almost scared Yaten.  
  
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"I'm sorry that you guys had to walk in the middle of that." Kakyuu shook her head.  
  
"No, no, it's nice to see Yaten getting yelled at. in my case it was always the other way around!" Minako laughed as they walked with Kakyuu.  
  
"So how has everything been?" Usagi asked, she was walking right next to Kakyuu while the others dropped behind.  
  
Kakyuu's face softened and a smile appeared. "Everything has been surprisingly wonderful. well that is if you exclude their bickering."  
  
"They don't do what they did on Earth here?" Usagi asked hoping the answer was no, though she caught sight of Minako behind her hoping to god that Yaten still streaked.  
  
Kakyuu shook her head. "No, they do nothing of the sort. Taiki's been working hard with structuring a new form of education system and writing a novel he won't let anyone else read." They headed around a turn in the hallways. "Yaten has been painting a lot and Seiya."  
  
Usagi flying into Kakyuu, cut her statement short. Usagi rubbed her bottom and looked up to see just what had caused her sudden crash. A girl, who appeared to be about her age, was lying on top of her rubbing her head. "Gomen." She muttered and Makoto and Ami helped her up.  
  
"Sazuki!" Kakyuu said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I was looking for Seiya, the guard told me that you guys had company, so I figured he'd be down here in the guest wing." As the girl finished fixing her hair she looked at Usagi. "You look kinda familiar. have we met?"  
  
Kakyuu and Usagi were on their feet by now and brushing themselves off. Usagi shook her head. "I'm Tsukino Usagi, nice to meet you." She introduced herself.  
  
Sazuki smiled and extended her hand also. "I'm Hoshi Sazuki, the pleasure is all mine, I'm sure." Sazuki looked to Kakyuu and noticed the nervous twitch in her eye. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Fine, just fine!" Kakyuu answered a little nervously and drew the attention of the planetary senshi around her. "What? I said I was fine?!"  
  
"Oh my stars!" They heard a curse from behind them only to turn around and see no one. Seiya hid himself behind a pillar and hoped to god he could remain hidden and unnoticed. You're girlfriend and the girl of your dreams meeting one another having no idea who the other one was wasn't exactly his idea of a good time. 


	4. I can't believe there's 4 parts to this!...

THE ONE YOU'VE BEEN WAITIN' FOR!!!! DUN DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!!!!!!!

Behind the Music ~ Three Lights

Chapter 4

She leaned back in her bed and looked up at the ceiling through her canopy bed. It really was a nice planet, outside and in. The air seemed much cleaner and she felt more comfortable. Sighing, she thought about that girl she ran into earlier. Sazuki…now that she remembers, she herself looks kind of familiar. The hair, it was almost her color, but more copper in a way. Her eyes were a shade of blue with a hint of green in there. But the facial features distinctly told her that she might be her twin. 

Turning over on her side she then thought back to earth and the show, "Behind the Music". Yaten shooting up, Taiki stripping, Seiya taking shots. Poor Seiya…she felt so sorry for him. How has he been all this time that they've been apart? Does he still drink? Is he still sad? Questions and worriment went through her mind about him.

Then there was a soft knock on the door and she turned over. "Come in…" The doorknob turned and opened, only to reveal Seiya.

"Odango?"

Her eyes widened in surprise and excitement. "Seiya!!!" She got up and ran over to embrace him tightly in her arms. 

He returned her affection the same way and smiled and was in heaven. He buried his nose-... no! He can't, he has Sazuki. She's beautiful, talented…and…!

_~Reminds you of Odango~_

No!!!

_~The only reason why you asked her out is because she looked and acted like her~_

Shut up!

"Seiya?"

"Eh?"

For a while there, Usagi was caught in a trance. And it seemed that Seiya was too. Only, it seemed stronger. His hold on her tightened as it felt like an inner battle within himself. She looked up into his dark sapphire irises and smiled. "It's been so long! How have you been?"

"I've been fine. How about you?"

"It's been Ok!" she looked into his eyes a moment longer and couldn't resist him. It felt like an eternity since she's last seen him and just needed to feel his warmness again. She wrapped her arms around his upper torso and laid her head against his chest.

He sought comfort and found it when she embraced him again. His heart mended together and started to beat it's way into extra-working mode. Although, he never really felt this way when Sazuki and him had their little hugs. He guessed that his heart never was with her. Usagi had it beating in the palm of her hand.

Pulling back, his faithfulness toward women gave him a swift kick in the ass and he flew up toward reality. They were still at a distance of necessary accusation but with Usagi's word, it didn't really matter. She was a guest after all.

"I just came by to say hi and to maybe show you around the palace. So you wouldn't get lost looking for the pantry or anything."

She would have kicked him in the ass too as expected, but in the irony of things she just giggled. "Well, we wouldn't want that, ne? But for the worst part, I wouldn't want it."

He smiled and walked over to the door and opened it. "After you…"

Giggling again, she curtsied properly and walked out the door. "Such a gentlemen."

They both walked side by side down the hallway, passing by the pillar Seiya had hid behind when seeing the meeting of his girlfriend and the girl of his dreams. After discussing it with himself, he concluded that he should just keep it hidden. He thought it didn't really matter since Usagi was with Mamoru. By the way, where was he?

"Odango?"

"Hmm?" She turned toward him.

"So uh, how's everything with Mamoru? Married yet?"

Her face fell and she seemed to take interest in her moving feet. She sort of fiddled with her fingernails, getting the dirt, and whatever that grew inside there, out. "I don't really know if he is or not."

"Huh?" Seiya stopped dead in his tracks as he watched Usagi's form walk slowly ahead and turn around. She wasn't that far from him.

"He moved away to America. I don't know if he found some pretty tall and thin American girl to marry yet." She broke out a smile. "But it was a long time ago. I'm way over it."

"You mean he broke up with you?" He got a little closer to her so he could see it in her eyes more clearly that she was telling the truth.

She nodded. "Hai, I guess he saw me as a weight holding him down from his dream. But it's just something I have to understand and deal with."

If he just could have waited a couple of months longer…the original would have come in a complete package scarred, but perfect enough, and single. It was now his turn to kick himself in the ass.

"Odango, I'm really sorry."

"Seiya, I've told you, I'm over it! It's nothing to worry about."

He side-smirked. "Well, if it makes you feel any better…" he rubbed her arm softly. "…I don't think the American he married is thin."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause all Americans are fat."

She blinked in confusion and thought back on her school days when she was in cooking class. Even though it was some time ago…she didn't know it still applied today. "Well, I guess you're right." She grabbed Seiya's hand. "But give me a tour! I want to know where the pantry is!"

"Oh but Odango, you don't want to end up like an American do you?"

"Be quiet!"

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He crept quietly in his room, as if there was another person sleeping lightly in his bed and didn't want them to wake up. With a quick twist, he locked the door. His hair seemed to be the only shining matter by the light of the moon. He walked lightly over to his closet and turned on the light. Looking back at his room again, he saw that the coast was clear and lifted a piece of wood from the floor at the back of his closet. He had to reach down pretty far to retrieve what he had hidden down there. His hand came back up with a plastic bag and it's contents consisting of white powder, laughing a little cunningly and disturbingly. 

"Oh yeah…only made on earth…"

Yaten took about half an ounce in his hand and sniffed it all up. Suddenly, his eyes seemed to shine more than usual and, for no odd reason, started to crack up. (Get it??)

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Seiya plopped down on his bed from the most wonderful day he just had. It never really dawned on him that he missed her that much until he was with her. He showed her around the palace and she snuck some food under her shirt that almost made him die laughing. It made him realize how special she was and why he loved her so much. Ah…Odango…

"Seiya?"

"Yes Oda-…ah…Sazuki?" He turned a nice shade of red and bit down on his lip. He almost blew his cover.

She was in a nightgown and twirled herself toward him. Her giggling, it sounded just like hers…how he missed her already. Sazuki then finally got in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Seiya?"

He wrapped his arms gently around her waist and kissed her forehead. "Hai?"

"Where were you today? I was looking for you…"

"Uh…I was showing one of the guests around the palace. You know, it's so big and I had to show her around."

She just answered with an, 'oh' and went up to catch his lips in a kiss. She seemed to want to get right down to business too. Seiya was a bit hesitant but just returned it. Sazuki though…didn't think twice. She pulled away and gave him a seductive look that gave Seiya chills down his spine. By pulling a string from the back of her gown, it went all the way down to her feet discarded, revealing all her glory. Her partner didn't seem to go all crazy and get aroused.

"Sazuki, what're you doing?"

"C'mon Seiya…" She started walking toward him.

He stepped back. "No…no, we can't do this."

"Why not?" with his rejection, she was a bit more than pissed.

"Because, I just can't it's not right!"

"What's not right about it?! We're in love!! Lovers make love!!!!"

"HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW ITS LOVE???!!!"

That received a smack. Seiya's cheek started to throb. But he didn't care. This happened too much for him to count. Ever since maybe the third time he took her out, she's been giving herself to him. Being half a woman, he didn't think it was too attractive. He thought all women had means, thought all women were like Usagi. Or should be like her. Sazuki seemed ditzy and sweet on the outside, that's what he thought too, but then whenever they got behind closed doors, she was…depraved. He wasn't the typical man in the universe, go crazy at the first sight of skin. He always thought, "It's nothing I don't have". Saving himself from another slap, he started to walk out the door. 

"Goodnight Sazuki…" and afterwards, he slammed the door shut.

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She tossed and turned for about an hour. God, why couldn't she go to sleep?! Princess Kakyuu gave her the best of the best rooms and she still wasn't comfortable. Sitting up, Usagi looked around the room and just noticed how bright it was for night. The moon seemed to just want to make her room shine even if it was dark. She got up and slipped on her slippers and started to go out the door. Doing the math in her head earlier in the day, Kinmoku's time was different. It would be about 5:00 P.M. one week ago on earth and she would have her after school snack right about now. She started on her way down the hall and tried to remember her tour with Seiya.

Seiya…she had such a good time with him. It brought back such old memories, memories that she had never forgotten and would never. He still seemed like the same childish idol that she once knew, but he also had changed a lot at the same time. In a way, just crying out for help. Not in the, "help me, I'm going to die" but "help me choose". Usagi dearly wanted to help him. Other than that, she loved to be with him. She wanted to for the rest of her life she felt.

Turning the corner, she saw that a light was on, the light to the kitchen. She took another step and saw whom she was just thinking about. Sitting there, drinking something. "Seiya?"

He turned toward her, shot glass still in his mouth just after the alcohol went down his throat. The scene was enough to make Usagi giggle and she started towards him. "Odango?"

"Now, now Seiya. Let's get over this habit, you found your princess."

Seiya chuckled lightly and put the glass down and turned it over. "Ah, it's only my fifth one…"

"ONLY??" she sat beside him. "Open your mouth…"

He blinked a couple of times looking at her like she was crazy, but then complied and opened it. She seemed to lean her face close to his and start sniffing.

"Ok…I believe you. But don't drink anymore Ok?"

"Yes, MOTHER!" they both giggled and Seiya pushed the alcohol and shot glass away. "So, what're you doing up?"

"Oh, I just couldn't sleep. My tummy wouldn't let me."

Chuckling, he stood up from his seat and walked over to the pantry. Usagi watched him leave and just stared at his form as he started to rummage. After about five minutes, he came back with some weird fruit and red juice. She looked at him funny when he sat down.

"Don't worry, it's good…try it." He broke off a chunk of the fruit and held it out to her. Expecting her to just take it in her hand, Usagi took a bite as it was still in his hand. 

"Mmm, that is good. What's it called?"

"The Inshin fruit. It supposedly gives you more passion and stuff."

She stopped her chewing and looked at him funny. "Is there a reason behind you feeding it to me?"

Seiya realized that he left a big part out and shook his head. "NO, NO, NO!!! I didn't really mean-…it only works on men. It supposedly makes their marriage life better if they eat it on a regular basis."

"Like how?" Seems Kinmoku's food always had a story behind it.

"Well, if the man's not getting anything in bed or his love for his wife is getting weaker, he eats it to stimulate his love AND love-making!" He blushed a bit.

"Does it work on women?"

"Not really..."

"Do you eat it on a regular basis?"

He shook his head. "Nah, its just that princess likes the flavor." 

Usagi giggled and took another bite. "I can see why, it's so sweet. Like a watermelon."

"Glad you like it." He then took a bite right after her and then ate the whole big chunk.

She watched him munch on the Inshin fruit and stared at him. Her eyes seemed to wonder down to his pants to see how fast this food worked. She never really thought of Seiya having an erection from a fruit, but just thought to look anyway.

Usagi looked back up to his face as he was licking his fingers to finish off the taste. It wasn't in a way to turn you on...just very childish. He even used his sleeve to wipe off some of the juice at the corner of his mouth. 

"Seiya, do you ever use napkins??" She was turning into a mother again. 

"No...we just go to bed sticky." he answered mockily. 

She pouted and licked her thumb to get a corner that already dried out. "My God!"

It wasn't his fault that this connection was getting to him. It was the fruit!! Or it might be her just playing games with him. Maybe from the television show...she learned a lot. And now she knew a way to torture him. 

She finished his cleansing and smiled at him sweetly. "Well, I wanna go outside. It's a bit stuffy in here!"

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"...So...this is your home planet..."

"Yeah, kinda red...all over."

"Ha! Earth's too blue for my sake."

"At least you have decent entertainmet."

"But the air's MUCH more clean here."

"We haven't done anything since we left."

"We haven't done anything either, why do you think we came here?"

"I miss earth..."

"You're not missing anything."

"I guess this is Ok..."

"...So...this is your home planet..."

The duo was on a role for a second giving advantages to one another's planets. They both looked at each other and laughed. Good things had to come to an end sometime. They sat on a marble bench gazing at the sky after that, both lost in their own little worlds.

One thing went through Usagi's mind and she didn't really want to ask it, but at it tugged at the corner of her brain and she knew that she was going to die if she didn't ask. It wasn't the stupidity of the question, just HER asking it. But it's Seiya, she could tell him anything.

"Seiya...whenever they were showing the episode, they also showed a clip of you. You were standing in your dressing room drying off and then you took out a picture. I couldn't really tell who it was, but, the girls told me that it was me. Who was it really?"

A lump appeared in his throat and he suddenly lost his voice. It wasn't the first time this has happened. He was speechless most of the time when he was with his Odango. He thought about it at the speed of light and he never really was at a loss of words when it came talking to Sazuki. All he tells her is, "no".

"Actually Odango, it really was you."

"Really??" Her eyes seemed to shine as bright of the moon. Usagi scooted closer to Seiya and hugged his arm as she rested on her chin on his shoulder. She batted her eyes at him innocently to make his blush darker. "You actually thought about me??"

Seiya smiled sweetly at her answer. For a minute, he thought it was rhetorical, but the look in her eyes told him that she was asking him seriously.

_~Yup, that fruit really did it to you...~_

Shut up!! Go away!

_~Oh come on!! You can't miss it!!~_

Who invited you??!?

_~I'm gone!~_

"Of course I do Odango."

"How much?"

"All the time."

"Even now?"

"Well it's hard not to, you're right here."

The blonde giggled and let go of his arm so it could get its blood supply. She then lightly pulled a lock of her hair behind her ear and looked down at the ground. "You know, I thought a lot about you too."

He chuckled. "Oh wow..."

"I also daydreamed about you. I didn't it off and on after you left. But then after Mamoru left, it went up to everyday..."

She considered him second place? Well, he would rather be in second place than in no place. He still didn't have the guts to tell her he saw her in his dreams and nightmares also. After a moment of silence, Seiya decided that she was probably joking with him, so he might as well lighten up the mood.

"Did you dream about me not calling you "Odango" anymore??"

Usagi giggled lightly. "No, but I did dream about you coming back."

He looked up at her to see if she really meant it. Her face seemed to glow and he could tell she was nervous. 

"I dreamt that...you came up to me and took me in an embrace. I told you everything...everything that happened while you were gone and about Mamoru. I started to cry after that, it just overwhelmed me that I had so many things happen to me and you missed out."

She leaned in toward him. "After I calmed down a bit, you touched my chin..." Usagi reenacted her dream by actually putting her hand on his chin. "...then your face seemed to get closer...and closer...and closer..." 

With each "closer" she said she did just that and Seiya didn't seem to mind one bit. He was actually enjoying this moment. This magic moment. Her fingertips delicately caressing his chin...he wanted to tell her he dreamed the same thing. But his eyes closed slowly as he waited for her lips to come onto his.

Her lips lightly brushed against his and was about to kiss him, when Usagi probably figured that maybe Seiya didn't want this. The scene was around 4 years ago, maybe his feelings have changed. 

"...But it was just a dream..."

Happening all too fast, she took her hand away and stood up. Her face looked heartbroken as she looked around the courtyard looking lost. "I better be going...I..." She didn't know where she was going, but she just went one direction that she didn't know where it led.

"ODANGO WAIT!!!"

Seiya came up to Usagi and caught her arm to turn her around. No, he couldn't pass up this moment. He now knew for sure that this was for real. That he could finally win this battle. That maybe reality wasn't so bad after all. He couldn't let her go, he just couldn't.

Putting his arm around her waist, he put his hand under her chin and looked heavily into her eyes. As impatient as he was, he didn't want to go as slow as Usagi said it did. Seiya then took her in a deep passionate kiss that she returned just as strong.

Although, they were having the time of their life now...Seiya wouldn't be so lucky after he hears the news of his new girlfriend seeing all this behind a pillar...


	5. As if the other four weren't enough

Behind the Music ~ Three Lights

Chapter 5

The morning sky was painted a dusty orange when she awoke.  A warm olive scented breeze blew in through her open window, reminding her of just where she was.  A smile, that displayed her true happiness, beamed across her face.  All of her thoughts were immediately on the night before, all of her dreaming and wishing had finally paid off.

Not wasting any more of this new day, Usagi threw the covers from her body and sprung from the bed… only to land in a loud thud.  "Oww…"  She cursed as she looked back to see her legs tangled in the sheets of her bed.  "What a way to start the day."  She muttered as she unraveled herself from her twisted assailant and proceeded to the bathroom.

Once properly dressed and her mood back on the up side, Usagi ventured out into the palace in search of her life's necessity… food!  Her stomach growled loudly and it caused her to pick up her pace along the marble floor.  "I know, I know…"  She spoke aloud to her grumbling nuisance of a tummy.  Then suddenly, without warning she found herself face down on the hard marble floor for a second time that morning.

"Gomen nasai…"  Usagi quickly apologized as she rubbed the sore spot that was bound to form from her endless klutz attacks.  She smiled when she recognized the girl she had run into, it was the same girl from the day before.  "We'd better not make this a habit, ne?"  Usagi laughed as she offered her hand to Sazuki.

Sazuki smiled with a certain glint to her eyes that sent a chill up Usagi's back.  "Were you heading to breakfast?"

"Uuh…" Usagi stuttered on her words, there was something in Sazuki's eyes that made her feel very uncomfortable.  "Yes."

"Well then you were going the wrong way."  Sazuki giggled and lightened the mood.  She watched as Usagi sighed in relief and then offered her arm to the blond moon princess.  "Here we can go together."

Usagi accepted her arm and smiled, giving her a warm and inviting look.  "We didn't have very much time together yesterday, I'd like to know more about you."

"That at least gives us something in common, because I myself would like to know all there is to know about you too."  Sazuki winked down at the slightly shorter girl.  "What is your palace like at home?"

"Palace?  We don't have a palace, the people of Earth don't even know our true identities as senshi!"

Sazuki's blue-green eyes shot Usagi a puzzling look.  "You mean to tell me that you protect your solar system and home planet facelessly with no praise?"

Usagi shrugged, she had never really thought about it that way before.  "We have to, we can't just let everyone die.  You understand that right?  I mean you're a senshi too aren't you?"

"No, I'm not."  Sazuki shook her head.  "I'm just the daughter of a Nobleman that serves the Princess."  She looked over at Usagi to see what she thought.  A slight giggle escaped her lips when she noticed the blond looking around trying to take in everything all at once.  She had simple innocence… but she was trying to take Seiya.

"Oh well you must be very close with the Starlights anyway, ne?"  Usagi asked bringing her face back level with Sazuki's.

The taller girl cringed a bit at the mention of the Starlights, she didn't like to think of them in the female form, that was just something she could never seem to get past.  "Hmm… I had never met them until Kinmoku was rebuilt.  That's when my father was moved to the position he is in now and we came to live in the palace.  I like to think that the four of us are kinda close though."  She smirked at other obvious thoughts coming to mind.

"I'm jealous, it must be nice to live with your best friends."  Usagi smiled naively up at her as they neared the banquet room.  "You get to see all of their little strange quirks that they don't allow others to see.  You know like how Seiya sings into his hairbrush when he gets out of the shower or…"

"He does?"  Sazuki questioned, totally unaware of this.  She had never seen or heard him singing to his hairbrush, he never let that kind of childish behavior show through to her.

"What the… Oh hey Usagi, Sazuki!"  Yaten waved from the breakfast table while everyone just stared at them.  

Seiya was just about hyperventilating at the scene before him.  His girlfriend and the woman he had just practically cheated on her with last night walking into breakfast arm in arm?  This had to be some sort of cosmic joke, right?  Quickly standing, to be the gentleman that Sazuki had come to expect him to be, he pulled her chair out for her.  He noted that Usagi was looking at him quizzically and tried to keep his eyes from meeting hers.  

Usagi took her seat, pulling it out for herself, next to Kakyuu at the head of the table and across from Seiya.  After placing her napkin onto her lap she looked up at Seiya with a smile.  Out of the corner of his eye, Seiya could see Sazuki watching them and pretended as though he hadn't noticed Usagi's presence while looking off out the window.  This was hell.

Down the table further sat Taiki and Yaten, both were trying in vain to hide their snickers and giggles.  A threatening glance from Kakyuu soon put their fun to an end and the whole matter was left up to question with the inners.

"What's there to do on this planet?"  Makoto asked trying to start a conversation, but keeping her eyes on the shortest Light who seemed to be fidgeting in his seat.

"Don't ask those three."  Rei pointed out, referring to the Three Lights.  "… For heaven's sake, look what they did for fun on our planet."

A small voice piped up from among them.  "It wasn't that bad guys."

"Ami!"  Rei scolded her.  A heavy blush covered the blue-haired girl's cheeks as she looked down into her lap.

"I don't care what we do as long as Yaten's there."  Minako smiled hungrily at Yaten who just became more uncomfortable and fidgeted in his seat.

The conversation went on, as the planetary senshi discussed their activities for the day and Usagi kept quiet.  She was confused and couldn't understand what was going on.  _Did that kiss mean nothing to him last night? _She thought to herself as she stole yet another glance at Seiya.  This time he had been looking at her but quickly turned his vision away when he met her eyes.

Usagi watched where his eyes wandered to and followed them down the table to come to rest on Sazuki.  The strawberry blond caught her attention and flashed a flirtatious little wave back.  Usagi smiled and started to eat her breakfast.  It was too early in the morning to be thinking of such things.

Kakyuu watched the little show between Sazuki and Usagi from the moment they walked in the door.  She didn't trust Sazuki and she certainly didn't think she was good enough for her Starlight.  But who was she to say anything?  The important thing was that Seiya had recovered from his heartbreak and found someone new.  She wanted to believe that, REALLY she did.

"Alright, we'd better get going before the entire day passes us!"  Seiya spoke up, finishing his breakfast quickly, trying his best to get out of this tense situation.

Minako cheered and Usagi groaned, she was barely done with her first helping and there were so many other things on the table that she wanted to try.  "Already?  I just got here!"

"It's not our fault you sleep in and get lost everywhere!"  Rei scolded her like only Rei could.

Princess Kakyuu rose to stand and address everyone.  "That's alright, I need to speak Usagi privately so why don't the rest of you get going with what you had planned and she will catch up later."

Usagi looked up at Kakyuu with a gratifying look before quickly reaching for the tempting Inshin fruit she had just sampled the night before.  She failed to notice the fire-haired princess surveying certain members of the table as they left, mainly Seiya and Sazuki.  Kakyuu knew she was up to something, she just had to be.

"So how are you finding Kinmoku so far?"  Kakyuu asked Usagi as she sat back down once everyone had left.

"Delicious!"  Usagi smiled, juices from the fruit in her hands encircled her lips.

The fireball princess had to let a giggle slip as she looked upon her companion.  "You truly are a piece of work Usagi."

"Can I take that as a compliment?"  

Kakyuu nodded, not quite knowing what to think of her.  "I wanted to apologize to you personally for Sazuki."

"Apologize? For what?"  Usagi asked, not skipping a beat in shoveling the food into her mouth.

"Well I know that she can be a little… _over protective_, and I just want you to tell me if she makes you uncomfortable in anyway."  Secretly Kakyuu was hoping Usagi would confess to her some inner insecurity that she felt when near Sazuki so she would have a reason to boot her out of her kingdom.  This thought spawned an interesting mental picture of the whole scene:

Kakyuu:  Sayonara sucker! *grins evilly as she picks Sazuki up by the back of her dress*

Sazuki:  Princess no please! *begs and pleads for her life seeing how Kakyuu has chosen to drop kick her off the highest tower of the castle*

Announcer:  Welcome to Princess Bowl XXXXVI!! Today we have Princess Kakyuu of Kinmoku-sei going for a long punt on the 30yrd line.  Can she do it?

Starlights:  *jumping around acting like her cheerleaders* GO KAKYUU!!! WHOOHOO!! 

Maker: Healer why is your skirt so short?

Healer:  When you have legs as cute as mine you've just GOTTA show them off!

Fighter:  *busy trying to light a fire down below for Sazuki to land in*

Announcer:  And she goes up for the kick and it's going… going… going… it's outta here!

Sazuki:  *flying through the air flailing her arms*

"Uh… Kakyuu?"  Usagi waved her hand in front of the princess' face.  Her eyes seemed so distant.  "You ok?"

Kakyuu shook suddenly, realizing there was a wide smile plastered across her face she immediately tried to straighten herself out.  "Gomen Usagi."

Usagi sweat dropped but continued to confront Kakyuu.  "What do you mean over protective?  She told me she wasn't a senshi?  What is she protective of?"

Kakyuu blinked a few times as she looked at the blond princess before her.  She knew Usagi had spent a good portion of the day with Seiya yesterday and she couldn't believe this hadn't come up.  _Had he not told her?_  "She's protective of Seiya of course."

"Seiya?  Why would she be protective of Seiya?"  Usagi was confused to say the least and didn't see the connection.  Although, Sazuki did say she was rather close with the Lights, maybe she was protective of Seiya as a brother?

"Usagi, Sazuki is Seiya's girlfriend."

That hurt.  Usagi stared blankly at Kakyuu sitting beside her.  Was she serious?  It wasn't so much a shock that the girl was Seiya's girlfriend as the fact that he HAD a girlfriend.  The warm emotion of love that she had felt since his lips touched her's last night had been wiped away by the cold hand of destiny yet again.  "His girlfriend?"

Kakyuu looked at Usagi with concern.  Her happy and cheerful mood had just been flushed down the toilet leaving her looking absolutely heartbroken before her.  "Yes Usagi, Seiya didn't tell you that he had a girlfriend?"

_~Of course he has a girlfriend you odango atama! So what if he liked you four years ago?  Did you expect him to wait for you forever?~_

The blond could feel the tears coming to her eyes and felt ashamed to cry in front of Kakyuu, especially over her own stupidity.  What had happened last night?  

_~Was he just trying to see if he had any feelings left for her so that he could be sure he could move on?~_

No Seiya wouldn't do that.

_~Ah, but he did.  His reaction this morning only proved it, ne?~_

He could never do that, he's too…

_~You're right, maybe he just felt bad for you and your pitiful state last night!~_

"Excuse me Kakyuu, I'm going to head out now."  Usagi stood, her tone weary, her apparent torment showing through in her demeanor.

Kakyuu rose to respect the exit of her guest and wondered if she hadn't made a mistake.

^v^v^v^

The day had been filled with sightseeing and mini-adventures, one which even landed Makoto in jail for attempted manslaughter.  Minako laughed as she remembered the scene and Makoto trying to plead her innocence, well you could call it more ignorance than anything.  Taiki had let her drive –big mistake- and failed to tell her of the different traffic laws on Kinmoku.  Soon a sixty-car pile up had been created right in the middle of down town Imperial City.  The one thing that had been missing was Usagi.  

The blond haired senshi of love took out a tube from beneath her bed.  She had snuck off by herself while they were shopping to pick it up specially.  When she popped the top a brilliant smile lit up her face.  Inside were large sheets of blue paper, blue prints to be exact.  Along the diagrams there was a partial plan laid out.

Step 1: Obtain  Seduce Yaten

Step 2:  ???

"Duh Minako you haven't gotten that far yet!"  She cursed herself as she went over the plans.  Reaching further into the tube she pulled out a sandwich baggie filled with a white powdery substance.  "This should do the trick!"  

Before Minako could conceal the VERY incriminating evidence that surrounded her, the door to her bedroom opened.  "Minako?  Can I talk to you?"  Usagi approached her.

Minako grinned sheepishly as she held the hefty bag of cocaine behind her back.  "Uh… sure."

"What's that you have there?"  Usagi asked closing the door behind her.

"This?!"  Minako stuttered.  "It's uhhh, candy! Yeah that's it, it's candy!" _Nose candy!_  Minako giggled to herself.

"Ooo!! Can I have some?"

"NO!!"  Minako backed away.  "It's special candy I got just for Yaten."

"Oh."  Usagi's face went from pure bliss to immediate down cast.

Minako looked at her and knew this sudden mood swing wasn't just from her not giving up the candy.  "What's going on Usagi?"

"I want to go home."  Usagi said plainly.

"NANI?!"  Minako shrieked.  "We can't leave yet?! I haven't even set my plan in motion!"  _Shouldn't have said that out loud!_

Usagi sat on the bed with a huff.  "Don't worry, I'll go back myself."

"Usagi what happened?  Why do you suddenly want to leave?"

"Oh Minako!"  Usagi threw herself into her friend's arms.  "I kissed Seiya last night."

Minako beamed.  "That's a good thing isn't it?  It's about time too!"

Usagi shook her head frantically.  "No, it's a bad thing! Minako, Seiya has a girlfriend."

"You've gotta be shittin me!"  Minako looked utterly and completely shocked.  "No way!"

"Kakyuu told me today.  I never thought he was the type of person to do that.  I don't want to come between them."  Usagi was confused and hurting at the same time.

Minako didn't want to leave Kinmoku just yet and she certainly wasn't ready to be away from her Yaten again.  As a determined look swept over her face she stood before Usagi strong and tall.  "Seiya hurt my princess' feelings right?"

Usagi looked up at her as if she was nuts. (perhaps she ate too much of Yaten's candy ^_^)  "I Minako Princess of Venus will set right this injustice Sailor V style!"

"Minako what are you going to do?  I just want to go home and forget about it.  I don't want anyone else to know, especially not Sazuki!"

"Usagi sometimes innocent bystanders must be taken down for the benefit of the cause!"

"You're scarring me."

Minako was suddenly dressed in full army fatigue and standing over her blue prints.  "We will take the enemy general down by force."

"Uh hello? Minako?"

"Here!  Marked on this map are all of the secret passages of this castle."

"What's this one with all the hearts around it?"  Usagi asked pointing to the map.

"That's the one that connects my room to Yaten's!"  Minako cheered getting huge hearts in her eyes.

Usagi sweat dropped and nearly face faulted on the floor.  "Of course, why didn't I see it?"

"Never mind that!  We have to get Seiya back for hurting your feelings."

"Minako you're high, I don't want to take revenge on Seiya."  Usagi tried to talk some sense into her blond friend but was getting nowhere.

"Well if not revenge, a couple of practical jokes should be called for!"

^v^v^v^v^

Today had to be one of the most stressful days of Seiya's life.  All day long he tried to pretend, for the benefit of the inners, that there was nothing between Sazuki and himself, while at the same time trying to keep Sazuki happy, and blissfully unaware of the situation.  He was exhausted.

As tiring as the charade had been he had to confess.  It was eating away at his insides, his true chance at happiness was a mere walk down the hall now.  He had to tell Sazuki what had happened and that it was over.  Walking very determinedly, he stalked up to her door and knocked a little too forcefully.  When there was no answer from the other side he opened the door and walked in.

There were no signs of the strawberry blond in the room, so he ventured to her bath quarters, where, once again, he got an eyeful.  "Seiya, I wasn't expecting you."  Sazuki stood, taking the steps from the bath slowly, prolonging her exposure.

Seiya turned away immediately, he didn't blush any more in situations like this, she had calculated them too many times for him to display modesty.  "I need to talk to you."

"Oh so I see you've heard then."

"Heard what?"  Seiya eyed the curtains on the window waiting for her to signal that she was dressed.

Without answering him she made her way back into the bedroom chamber and laid down on the large soft bed.  "The suppression isn't working any more."

"What do you mean?  The doctors said that it was a sure thing and that it would prolong the attacks."  He tried to seem genuinely concerned for her, but he couldn't help it if he wasn't.

Sazuki shook her head.  "The doctor said I would relapse into my comatose state if a new suppressant isn't found."

"I'm sorry."  Seiya sat down on the bed beside her trying to give her comfort.  The situation seemed more serious now.  "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"What did you come here to talk to me about?"  Sazuki asked weakly smiling up at him from the bed.

"Nothing, it was nothing."  Seiya answered quickly to avoid any more of her questions or suspicions.  He couldn't do this to her… not now.  How could he tell her of what he did while she lay here practically on her deathbed?  "Do you need anything?"

"No."  Sazuki smiled once again, her complexion pale.  "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"  Her plea seemed innocent enough and Seiya had no choice but to give into it.  Laying down he wrapped his arms around her midsection as he spooned her on the bed.  It felt so wrong to have her in his arms after having his Odango in them he night before.

He was slowly killing them all.  Sazuki who he was lying to, pretending to give his love to her.  Odango, who now saw in him what he had seen in her all those years ago and now he was pushing her away.  Himself, torturing his mind with the decision to make, staying away from HER.  How could he keep himself away from Usagi now that she was near and WANTED to be with him.  It was all too much coming into his mind, he needed a rest.

Seiya waited until Sazuki had fallen asleep in his arms before he stow away to the kitchen again.  It was dark in the palace and he was thankful for once that she hadn't let him go without talking his ear off.  He didn't feel like dealing with anyone right now.

By now Seiya had known the pantry of the kitchen very well.  Top shelves on the right, above Yaten's caviar were the bottles of liquor that were used to stock the bar.  Reaching high, his hand grabbed an aged bottle of scotch and he returned to the kitchen to sit on a stool at the median.

"Drinking alone?"  A voice asked him in the darkness.

"Apparently not."  Seiya stated and poured an extra glass.

Yaten smiled at him as he accepted his glass.  "Women trouble?"  Yaten asked.

A redness grew on Seiya's face and it was hard to tell if it was from blushing or blood staining his cheeks in anger.  Flicking his eyes up, the raven-haired man could see a hint of madness in his associate's eyes.  Yaten had been at it again, no wonder he hadn't commented on his drinking.  "It's Sazuki."

Yaten laughed disdainfully at his friend's situation.  "I told you it was no good from the beginning."  Seiya sighed and rolled his eyes taking the rest of his drink down only to fill it back up again.  "What brought about this bout of guilt?"  Yaten asked, a light smirk playing on his lips.

"Odango."  Seiya answered flatly.  Yaten knew his pathetic situation too well to try and hide it from him.

The silver-haired man leaned back smugly in his chair, precariously tossing his free arm over it's back.  "So what's the problem?  Drop Sazuki and continue your endless pursuit of your 'Odango'."  The way he said it so mater-of-factly made it all sound so simple, as if he hadn't weighed the consequences of the necessary actions he needed to take.  That was Yaten for you though, never looking before he leapt, but that was also Seiya.

"She's sick again."

"It's a vicious cycle isn't it?"  Yaten sneered, clearly showing his distaste for the strawberry blond Seiya had taken as his girlfriend.  "Can I ask you a question though?  What binds you to Usagi?"

What kind of question was that?  What binds him to Usagi?  "Are you that ignorant?  I love her?"  Seiya answered without any more thought, and it had come straight from his heart.

"Good.  Now, what binds you to Sazuki?"

This one Seiya pondered for what seemed like ages.  He had no idea what had kept him with her all this time, only knew that it would be wrong to leave her.  "I don't know."

"Guilt.  Guilt is what binds you to Sazuki.  If she wasn't sick, would you have stayed with her all this time?"  Before Seiya could answer, Yaten shot his own answer back.  "No you wouldn't have, you would have been free to leave her, but as you granted that dying girl's wish to be with you, you sealed your own fate."

Seiya didn't answer with words, but his actions did all the talking.  The bottle had quite the dent in it and Yaten's glass was still half full.  Sure the green-eyed light had seen his companion drink quite a bit before, but this was quick even for Seiya.  "I can't say that it's all your fault."  Yaten sighed swirling his drink in his glass.  "We did all see this as a good thing, well kinda anyway, in the beginning.  You couldn't be with the one you loved, but you had possibly found someone that could make you happy."

A humph sounded across the table from Seiya as he poured himself yet another glass.  Yaten eyed him curiously, wondering how he was coping with the burning sensation that the scotch was undoubtedly causing in this throat and stomach.  "We didn't know what she had done to you.  I sometimes blame myself for not seeing it sooner."

"Yeah well that makes two of us."

"You're just a sucker."

"What would you have done?"  Seiya answered back callously with a hint of remorse in his tone.

"Me? What would I have done?"  Yaten laughed a bit.  "I would have referred her to a good doctor and told her that I had more self worth, that I hoped she did to, not to go along with a desperate plan like the one she had formed."  Yaten stood, the bottle before Seiya was empty and he wasn't sure he wanted to stick around to see if he opened another one.  "Seiya, only one of you is dying.  Don't throw your life away to make the last minutes of someone you don't really care about life happy, live your life and make yourself happy.  I think you owe it to yourself at least after all we've been through."


End file.
